Written Answers Tuesday 5 June 2007

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a new entrants scheme for farming.

Richard Lochhead: We propose to include a new entrants measure for farmers in the new Scotland rural development programme, which we hope to launch towards the end of this year.

Agriculture

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of existing agri-environment schemes will be funded in the current and next financial year.

Richard Lochhead: Provided scheme conditions are met, 100% of agri-environment agreements which are current will be funded during this financial year. This also applies to the next financial year.

Business Rates

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the additional revenue which would be raised if business rates were extended to cover all vacant and derelict land over a hectare.

John Swinney: The information required to reliably estimate the amount of additional revenue that would be raised by extending business rates to all vacant and derelict land is not held by the Executive, the Scottish Assessors or local authorities.

Civil Service Relocation

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for the relocation of civil service jobs.

John Swinney: I am currently considering the future arrangements for reaching decisions on the locations of public bodies, in light of the experience of previous relocation policy, the findings of the Finance and Audit Committees of the Scottish Parliament and our wider commitment to review the cluttered landscape of public bodies. An announcement will be made when appropriate.

Civil Service Relocation

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its relocation policy is and, in particular, whether the Small Units Initiative will be retained as part of that policy.

John Swinney: We are currently reviewing arrangements for considering the locations of public bodies, in light of the experience of previous relocation policy, the findings of the previous Finance and Audit Committees of the Scottish Parliament and our wider commitment to review the cluttered landscape of public bodies. The Small Units Initiative will form part of this broader consideration and an announcement will be made when it is appropriate.

Civil Service Relocation

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans exist for a geographical approach to relocation policy and on what date a new policy will be introduced.

John Swinney: I am currently considering the future arrangements for reaching decisions on the locations of public bodies, in light of the experience of previous relocation policy, the findings of the previous Finance and Audit Committees of the Scottish Parliament and our wider commitment to review the cluttered landscape of public bodies. An announcement will be made when appropriate.

Class Sizes

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reverse the position of the previous administration not to maintain its commitment to maximum sizes of 20 for mathematics and English classes in S1 and S2.

Fiona Hyslop: Funding for the previous administration’s commitment to reduce S1/S2 maths and English classes to a maximum of 20 is already in place. We have no plans to reverse this commitment.

Community Planning

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for cities and community planning.

John Swinney: The government’s objectives for cities are the same as for Scotland as a whole. We want cities to be wealthier and fairer; to be healthier; to be safer and stronger; to be smarter, and to be greener.

  Our objectives for community planning are consistent with our ambitions for simpler, smaller government. Our intention is to set out clear, strategic outcomes at national level but to leave local decisions to local decision makers. Community planning has a central role to play in this, joining national policy outcomes together with a clear vision for each local area to help deliver better services for local people.

  We are committed to supporting local authorities and their community planning partners in this work, ensuring that people and communities are better engaged in decisions about public services which affect them and helping public bodies work together more effectively to improve the well-being of local communities.

E-Government

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for e-government.

John Swinney: My top objectives are supporting e-government initiatives which build Scotland’s economy and using information and communications technology to improve public services focused on the needs of business and citizens and to secure greater efficiencies.

Education

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which schools have an acting head teacher who has been in post for more than six months.

Fiona Hyslop: The information requested in not held centrally.

Executive Agencies

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which executive agencies and quangos it intends to abolish or otherwise change in this session of the Parliament.

John Swinney: As I announced during the debate on our Approach to Government, a critical element of our approach to simpler, smaller government is to declutter the landscape, in particular with reference to executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. I plan to discuss this with the people who are involved in public services, to build consensus within Parliament that the public sector landscape has become too complicated and to reassess the relationship between the Executive its agencies and public bodies. Specific proposals will flow from those discussions and reassessment.

Executive Agencies

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which executive agencies and quangos it abolished or changed during each of the first two sessions of the Parliament.

John Swinney: The information requested is given in Changes in the Agency and NDPB Landscape 1999 - 2007  a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42836).

Executive Agencies

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which executive agencies and quangos it established during each of the first two sessions of the Parliament, also showing the remits of each body.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-134 on 5 June 2007. Information on the remits of non-domestic public bodies is provided in the directory of Scottish public bodies on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

General Register Office for Scotland

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for the General Register Office for Scotland and Registers of Scotland.

John Swinney: The work of the General Register Office for Scotland and Registers of Scotland is essential to Scotland.

  I expect the General Register Office for Scotland to continue, on behalf of the Registrar General for Scotland, to arrange for the registration of life events (such as births and deaths), to maintain the NHS Central Register and to prepare and publish demographic and household statistics about Scotland’s population. In particular, I expect them to continue to modernise the registration service using the new powers in the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006; to improve services for family historians (in particular by opening a new family history centre in Edinburgh in March 2008); to improve statistics on migration, and to prepare for the next census.

  The objective of the Registers of Scotland is to provide Scotland’s citizens and institutions with the social and economic benefits that flow from a publicly guaranteed system of rights in land and property. Registers of Scotland will continue to develop the registers for which the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland is responsible, ensuring their accuracy, integrity and accessibility. In doing this, I expect the department to meet the financial target set annually by Scottish ministers for its operations and the registration performance targets set by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland, and for the department to take forward a range of initiatives to develop its services and to deliver them electronically.

Health

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients undergoing major surgery are routinely assessed to identify their risk of developing blood clots.

Shona Robison: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 62 on Prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) states that all patients admitted to hospital for major trauma, major surgery or acute medical illness should be assessed individually for risk of VTE. This guideline, which is about to be reviewed, is followed in surgical units throughout Scotland.

  Other Guidelines relevant to VTE are SIGN 89 (Diagnosis and management of peripheral arterial disease, October 2006) and SIGN 36 (Anti Thrombotic Therapy, March 1999), which is currently under review. Prevention of VTE is also covered in guidelines such as that on Prevention and Management of Hip Fracture in Older People (January 2002).

Housing

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) local authority housing was owned and (b) total housing debt was accrued by each authority in the last year for which figures are available.

Stewart Maxwell: This information is published in tables 3 and 14 of the statistical bulletin Local authority housing income and expenditure 2004-05 to 2006-07. This is available online in the publications section of the housing statistics branch reference site:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/PubLAHousingIncomeExpend.

Land

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the additional revenue which would be raised if a levy equal to 1% of its capital value, was placed on all vacant and derelict land over a hectare.

John Swinney: The Executive has not made a national estimate of the additional revenue that would be raised through such a levy. The information required to reliably make such an estimate is not held by the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Assessors or local authorities.

Local Government

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for local government.

John Swinney: The First Minister has made it clear that the purpose of his new administration is to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth. The five strategic objectives which will underpin this are working to create:

  a wealthier and fairer Scotland

  a healthier Scotland

  a safer and stronger Scotland

  a smarter Scotland, and

  a greener Scotland.

  They will structure our decision making on all issues, including local government, and give the clear focus to our government that is essential to deliver for the people of Scotland.

Marine Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to progress the recommendations of the Advisory Group on the Marine and Coastal Strategy, convened by the former Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, and what plans it has for Scottish marine legislation.

Richard Lochhead: As I previously indicated to the Parliament, I am committed to taking action to address the need for change to legislation for the management of Scotland’s marine and coastal environment. It is important that this action builds on the very useful work of the Environment and Rural Development Committee in the last Parliament the Advisory Group on Marine and Coastal Strategy. I am currently considering both the committee’s and group’s recommendations and will respond in due course.

Maritime Issues

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussion with the Marine and Coastguard Agency regarding the conduct of Greenpeace vessel, Arctic Sunrise , in the Shetland coastal waters in the week beginning 14 May 2007.

Richard Lochhead: When the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) became aware of the presence of the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise in Scottish Waters on 14 May 2007, officials of that agency contacted the Principle Enforcement Officer of the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to make him aware of the situation and ensure that any information obtained by SFPA on matters which might affect safety at sea in relation to any protest action by Greenpeace could be routed to the correct contact point within MCA.

Public Appointments

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to make public appointments more accountable to the Parliament.

John Swinney: Any changes to the role or functions of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland, who oversees public appointments in Scotland, is a matter for Parliament.

  The Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc, (Scotland) Act 2003 established the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland. The commissioner is appointed on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament and is entirely independent of Scottish ministers. The current commissioner took up post on 1 June 2004. The commissioner’s role is to oversee that all regulated appointments by ministers are made fairly and openly and, as far as possible, that all categories of people have the opportunity to be considered for public appointments. The act provides for the commissioner to consult with Parliament in the preparation of her Code of Practice on Public Appointments and to report to Parliament any failure by ministers to comply with the code. The act also requires that the commissioner must lay before Parliament each year a report on the exercise of her functions.

Public Service

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for public service reform.

John Swinney: The First Minister has made it clear that the purpose of his new administration is to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth. The five strategic objectives which will underpin this are working to create:

  a wealthier and fairer Scotland

  a healthier Scotland

  a safer and stronger Scotland

  a smarter Scotland; and

  a greener Scotland.

  They will structure our decision making on all issues, including public service reform, and give the clear focus to our government that is essential to deliver for the people of Scotland

Public Service

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for public service delivery.

John Swinney: The First Minister has made it clear that the purpose of his new administration is to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable growth. The five strategic objectives which will underpin this are working to create:

  a wealthier and fairer Scotland

  a healthier Scotland

  a safer and stronger Scotland

  a smarter Scotland, and

  a greener Scotland.

  They will structure our decision making on all issues, including public service delivery, and give the clear focus to our Government that is essential to deliver for the people of Scotland

Scottish Executive Departments

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been identified in the (a) civil service and (b) ministerial team as a consequence of the changes made to departmental structures and to what extent these savings are real or notional.

John Swinney: Changes made to departmental structures will result in real savings of a minimum of £300,000 per year in the civil service and a minimum of £230,000 per year in terms of ministerial changes. Further savings are likely to become apparent over time. A number of Scottish Executive staff have been redeployed to other duties.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for procurement and budgetary monitoring.

John Swinney: The Executive’s immediate procurement objective is to accelerate the programme of public procurement reform which is already underway. Two key themes underpin this programme. The first is to ensure effective collaboration amongst public sector bodies, to deliver best value for money for the taxpayer. The second is to improve access to public contract opportunities for the benefit of businesses.

  Budget monitoring is carried out within the Scottish Executive with the aim of producing information on a timely and reliable basis, to monitor the financial position against budgets approved by Parliament and to support decision-making and the application of financial resources in support of ministerial priorities.

Scottish Public Pensions Agency

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its top objectives are for the Scottish Public Pensions Agency.

John Swinney: The agency’s objectives are to deliver a high quality, customer focussed and cost-effective service to its stakeholders. The agency’s 2005-08 corporate plan, which can be viewed at www.sppa.gov.uk , provides further details of its key performance targets and work priorities.

Special Advisers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many special advisers it appointed in each of the first two sessions of the Parliament; what their specific responsibilities were, and what the total annual costs were of the posts.

John Swinney: At the end of the first Parliament there were nine special advisers in post at an annual salary cost of £602,449 and at the end of the second Parliament there were 12 special advisers in post at an annual salary cost of £854,376. Both cost figures include ERNIC and employer pension contributions.

  The specific role and duties of special advisers is set out in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers at Schedule 1 of the Model Contract for Special Advisers which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37226).

Suicide

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to introduce a 24-hour suicide prevention helpline.

Shona Robison: A 24-hour helpline for people in emotional crisis is already well established through Samaritans. The Scottish Government supports Samaritans’ work in Scotland through core grant funding. In addition Choose Life (the implementation team for the government’s strategy on suicide prevention) have provided funding to enable Samaritans to develop a co-coordinated approach to suicide intervention in branches in Scotland. This funding has included support to Samaritans to recruit and train more volunteers, with specific training in suicide intervention training skills, and support to pilot a phone texting service which will be reviewed in November 2007.

  There are no plans to introduce a separate service to meet the same needs.

  The government also supports a number of other initiatives which provide support to people in crisis or experiencing low mood or depression. This includes the free Breathing Space telephone advice line (open 6pm to 2am nightly; currently piloting extended hours to 6am at weekends).

  In emergency situations the emergency services can be contacted on 999 for assistance, 24 hours a day.

  Through Choose Life, suicide prevention training is being rolled out across Scotland; over 11,500 individuals in community and public service settings have been trained in suicide intervention and risk management skills in the last three years.

Teachers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to encourage more teachers to take the Chartered Teacher qualification.

Fiona Hyslop: Chartered Teacher already offers teachers substantial salary rewards in return for advanced learning which can lead to improved classroom practice. The scheme is currently being reviewed to examine possible improvements. In the meantime universities report increasing interest in Chartered Teacher modules, in part as new generations of teachers become eligible for entry.

Teachers

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers (a) began and (b) completed the Chartered Teaching course in each of the years since the inception of the programme.

Fiona Hyslop: Data relating to teachers beginning Chartered Teacher programmes is not held centrally.

  Chartered Teacher programmes are modular in nature and were designed so that steady progress can lead to full qualification in about six years. At the moment prior learning can also be accredited and most of those completing the programme have taken advantage of this to some extent.

  Based on information from the General Teaching Council for Scotland, the numbers achieving full Chartered Teacher status in each year since inception of the programme in August 2003 is as shown in the following table.

  

Year
Number


2003
0


2004
37


2005
113


2006
242

Teachers

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that newly qualified teachers find permanent employment following completion of their probationary year.

Fiona Hyslop: The employment of teachers, including the type of contract offered, is a matter for local authorities. However, teacher workforce planning is designed so that new teachers are completing their induction year at the volume needed to achieve a broad balance between supply and demand for teachers.

  In previous years, surveys by the General Teaching Council have found that most newly qualified teachers are in full-time positions by the middle of the autumn term.

  The Scottish Executive has made additional funding of £50.3 million available to local authorities for the employment of additional teachers to meet the target of a workforce of 53,000 by August 2007. This funding covers staffing costs for the end of school year 2006-07, and part year costs for 2007-08.

Teachers

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers are receiving treatment for psychological disorders resulting from work-related stress in the (a) primary and (b) secondary sector.

Fiona Hyslop: This information is not held centrally.